Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Feb 22 - Council Budget Marathon

We are in to the second day of debating the Capital Budget. You won't hear much from me but you will hear plenty from councillors not on the Budget Advisory Committee. There is a fair degree of concern about how many capital improvement projects and how many building projects have been deferred.

This is the year that after long neglect, we must take delivery of new 250 new buses to increase service on suburban routes and replace some 24 year old vehicles. It is the first replacement in a very long time. Consequently, we've been fairly stringent about incurring debt elsewhere in the city's capital budget.

I will be speaking later when our BAC strategy for balancing the Operating end of things comes before the Council.

John Barber in the Globe and Mail has a great explanantion of the Business Tax mess this morning. See the Link below.

About Me

Here is the North York Mirror "A" Report Card entry:
The first among rookies, and a real star: the councillor you’re glad you have if you do and wish you had if you don’t. This card-carrying Liberal has moved into the juicy middle of the Mayor David Miller circle of power – so much so that columnists and observers mistake her for a New Democrat. She took over the chairmanship of the powerful works committee in June, while returning to the heavy-lifting budget advisory committee, and has brought a balanced approach to both. Carroll also passed her Aug. 19 trial by fire – or rather rain – helping hundreds of homeowners in her ward whose basements were flooded in the late-summer deluge.
Shelley Adds:
Working on illegal rooming houses. MLS have closed four and are working on owners of several more.
Tackled development applications with massive community engagement.
Represents the City at the association of Metropolises. Conducted three-month review of TTC Budget and brought Capital Budget inside debt guidelines in her first term. She now is now Chair of Council's Budget Committee and sits on Mayor Miller's Executive Committee.